"Sophisticated Absurdities" opening at Paris in Plantsville this Saturday

Paris in Plantsville Gallery and Studio
15 West Main St., Plantsville, (860) 426-1149
Sophisticated Absurdities
Jun. 18—29, 2013.
Opening Reception: Sat., June 8, 6—9 p.m.

Press release from Paris in Plantsville

Curator and participating artist – Clinton Deckert of Southington. Featured Artists: Jon Eastman of Bloomfield, Barbara Hocker of Coventry, Florin Ion Firimita of Winchester, Joshua Smith of Farmington.

Beginning June 8, five Connecticut artists will join forces to display artwork that varies widely in mediums, styles and techniques. The exhibition, Sophisticated Absurdities, creates a stunning visual harmony that can be appreciated by any viewer who enjoys the liberty of the imagination.

The show’s curator and participating artist, Clinton Deckert, believes the work is an exploration of process. The end result is a visual documentation of that creative journey. It is honest art produced by artists who push the limits beyond the usual and defines some of the best fine art in our region.

Sophisticated Absurdities features a variety of artistic styles from local artists. Florin Ion Firimita is a dada-esque, although intentional, mixed media artist whose collage work seems to reflect an altered lens of a kaleidoscope. Jon Eastman is a constructivist mixed media artist who rescues and repurposes random found materials into new relevance as post-consumer modernism. Barbara Hocker is a mixed media/encaustic artist who uses photography in motion and sometimes blizzard conditions to capture fleeting moments, then encases them in encaustic. Joshua Smith and Clinton Deckert are both oil painters. Deckert collides abstract and surreal imagery in an alchemy of fluid thought. Smith paints a "never seen that before" type of dreamlike imagery that evokes distant memories.

Deckert states, "These artists have carved out their own niche by building the foundation of their skills upon the influences of their forebears. The artists and their work seem to echo the influences of Automatism, Dadaism, Expressionism, Bauhaus and the Surrealism. I can't go back in time to those historic periods, but I can select living artists within my realm who remind me of the type of work that solidified my love of the visual arts in the first place. I trust that you will enjoy the resulting exhibition."

Featuring Special Guest on Opening Night: Guitarist, Steve Rutledge!

ATOM space reception in Hartford Friday

ATOM Space @ Chinatown
55 Pratt St., Hartford, (860) 944-1665
As It Ever Was
May 4—26, 2012.
Opening Reception: Fri., May 4, 6—9 p.m.

Press release

ATOM space is pleased to announce its second exhibition, As It Ever Was, a group exhibition of contemporary art with work by Anne Cubberly (Web), Howard el-Yasin, Gene Gort (Web), Barbara Hocker (Web), Carol Padberg (Web), Nina Salazar, Patrick Schmidt (Web), Gil Scullion (Web) and Dave Sinaguglia (Web).

The exhibition will run from May 4 through May 26, with an opening reception on Fri., May 4 from 6 to 9 p.m.

Gallery hours are Thursday through Saturday from 12 noon to 5 p.m., or by appointment.

The exhibition As It Ever Was will feature artwork that takes a more organic and nature-based approach. The human form, animals, vegetation and trees inspire drawing, sculpture, video and installation for this group. Patrick Schmidt of Pittsburgh, will create a site-specific tape drawing on the front window glass of the gallery.

ATOM space is an ongoing project of Hartford artists David Borawski and Anne Cubberly. Inspired last year by an empty bank ATM lobby at the corner of Trumbull and Pearl streets, Borawski and Cubberly secured the use of the space to mount unique installations that were viewed through the surrounding glass windows. Only one exhibition was mounted before the space was leased, putting ATOM space on hold.

ATOM space is located in the former Chinatown Jewelry at 55 Pratt Street in downtown Hartford. Use of the storefront was generously provided by Jonathan Cohen of Cohen Realty, and presented with the support of Real Art Ways. Mr. Cohen has been working to reinvigorate the downtown area, and saw the ATOM space project as interesting venture to attract visitors to Hartford in general, and Pratt Street in particular.

In the late 90’s, David Borawski mounted five pop-up exhibitions in and around Hartford, and curated three exhibitions for Real Art Ways.

Hocker exhibit reception at 100 Pearl Street tomorrow

100 Pearl Street Gallery
100 Pearl St., 1st Fl., Hartford, (860) 525-8629
Barbara Hocker: Meanderings & Reflections
Through Sept. 7, 2011
Opening reception: Thurs., July 14, 5—7 p.m.

Press release

Meanderings & Reflections, a new exhibit by Hartford artist Barbara Hocker, opens at the 100 Pearl Street gallery managed by the Greater Hartford Arts Council. Hocker’s work combines digital photography and printmaking to blur the line between reality and abstraction, creating work that communicates the atmosphere and mood of our local natural places.

Hocker's artworks will be shown in the 100 Pearl Street gallery from June 29—Sept. 7. There will be an opening reception in the gallery space on Thurs., July 14, from 5—7 p.m.

Thursday night artists reception for Paper New England at Artspace in Hartford

Paper/New England
(860) 236-4787
Current CT
Showing at Artspace, 555 Asylum Ave., Hartford
Through June 13, 2009.
Artists' reception: Thurs., June 4, 6—9 p.m.
Artist talk: Thurs., June 11. 6—9 p.m.
Closing party: Sat. June 13, 2—4 p.m.

Press release

There will be a reception for the show Current CT, organized by Paper New England, at Artspace in Hartford tomorrow night. The show features work by Joseph Adolphe (Web), Deborah Dancy (Web), Stephen Grossman (Web), Zbigniew Grzyb (Web), Barbara Hocker (Web), Eva Lee, Ken Morgan, Laurie Sloan (Web), Joseph Smolinski (Web) and Deborah Weiss (Web). An artist talk for this show will be held Thursday of next week from 6—9 p.m.. The closing party will be Saturday afternoon, June 13, from 2—4 p.m.